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Fantastic Caste System: Difference between revisions
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== Tabletop Games ==
* ''[[Magic: The Gathering]]''
** As the quote above shows, the [[Our Elves Are Better|Elves]] in
** The Bant shard (the shard composed mostly of White mana with Green and Blue supporting it) in the ''Shards of Alara'' series/trilogy employs a rigid caste system based on the acquisition of sigils, marks of great valor. While it is possible to move up depending on how many sigils one obtains, it's still monumentally difficult. The lack of black and red mana—meaning virtually no magic can cause unnatural deaths or aimless destruction, but at the same time no magic that supports ambition, desire, or emotional content—doesn't help.
* The Tau Empire in ''[[Warhammer 40,000]]'' have four castes loosely based on the four Hindu Varnas but with [[Theme Naming|Elemental Theme Naming]]: the "Fio" (Earth) caste performs manual labour as well as scientific research, the "Kor" (Air) caste covers piloting and transportation, the "Por" (Water) caste deals with politics and diplomacy, and the "Shas" (Fire) caste serves as the Tau military. There is also a fifth caste: the "Aun" (Ethereal) caste, who govern the empire. In addition, caste members have a rank for their place within the caste. In ascending order from lowest to highest: Saal, La, Ui, Vre, El, and O. For example, a "Fio'La" is the equivalent of a factory labourer, a "Shas'Vre" is the equivalent of a military veteran or officer, and an "Aun'O" is the equivalent of a king or emperor. A Tau's caste and rank make up part of their name.
* In ''[[Traveller]]'' the entire Third Imperium depends on the team spirit of the ruling class. Unlike other empires the Third Imperium does not have an ethnic group as it's cadre. Instead it has a caste.
** The Zhodani have psionics, semi-psionics, and "proles". The proles are always happy because if they are so presumptuous as to be unhappy [[Mind Manipulation|arrangements can be made]].
** The Vilani Ziru Sirka was divided into the food-producer caste (Naashirka), the industrial caste (Sharurshid) and the government caste (Makhidkarum) but their relationship is complex and tangled. This system bears some resemblance in concept with the Minbari religious, worker, and warrior castes respectively of ''[[Babylon 5]]'' especially when one considers that chefs double as priests and medics in Vilani society. Like the Minbari the Vilani were engaged in constant turf wars between castes and clans.
** The K'kree group their castes into servants (farmers, factory workers, unskilled labor), merchants (skilled workers, scientists, merchants, businessmen), and nobles. Unlike most systems members of all castes are expected to serve in the military.
** The Droyne are classed into workers, warriors, drones, technicians, leaders, and a "jack of all trades" sport caste.
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** The Realm is basically divided into slaves, peasants, patricians (wealthier mortals with blood ties to the Dragon-Blooded host) and Dynasts (Dragon-Blooded families). Dynasts who don't Exalt are usually treated like red-headed stepchildren, and members of lower castes who become Dragon-Bloods are adopted by the Dynastic Houses ASAP. And of course, any who Exalt as Solars or Lunars are hunted down like dogs, this is the Realm we're talking about.
* The Clans in ''[[BattleTech]]'' have their own caste system, with the genetically engineered warrior caste obviously at the top. The scientist, technician, merchant, and laborer castes all basically exist mainly to provide for the warriors so they in turn can keep their attention focussed on their calling without undue distraction.
* ''[[New Horizon]]'' has the Medeans, who have established a sort of monarchy.
* ''[[Paranoia (game)|Paranoia]]'' enforces a strict caste system with color-based security clearances applying to ''everything'': what your job is, what you can eat, wear and own, who you defer to, even what rooms you can be in. If you're yellow, you eat yellow food in a yellow cafeteria, obey the greens while you yell at oranges and reds, carry a yellow laser, wear yellow clothes or armor (good against anything up to yellow lasers), and can read anything written on yellow stationary. If you're infrared, you're a heavily drugged prole who can be shot for looking funnily, then shot again for bleeding above your clearance. If you're ultraviolet... you're basically a living god and legend, lives in the lap of utter luxury, can commit treasonous acts in full view of anyone with no risk of getting caught, and is permitted to reprogram The Computer for your own designs.
* ''[[Legend of the Five Rings]]'' mirrors feudal Japan's.
== Video Games ==
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